ExplanationSurah Furqan is a Makki surah and many scholars assign it to the middle Makki period. The Surah begins with the words,

“Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His servant that he may be to the world a warner”

A reference to the fact that we are to be the messengers of the Messenger ﷺ and carry the miracle of this Qur’an, this criterion, to all people of the world till the Day of Judgment.

Like Surah Mominoon described those who are successful, Surah Furqan ends with an exquisite description of the ‘Ibad Ur-Rahman’, or the ‘Slaves of the Most Merciful’. This concluding passage of Surah Furqan also begins with the words,

“Blessed is He who has placed in the sky great stars and placed therein a (burning) lamp and luminous moon.”

These heavenly lights dispel the outward darkness, but what do those that receive the inward light of guidance look like? How do we identify those people? How do they walk and who do they talk to? Which company do they avoid and why? How do they shop and how do they pray? What do they make dua for? There are two Rabbana duas mentioned in this passage and many of us repeat them in our daily invocations. But is that enough? Is it enough to ‘talk the talk, or do we also have to literally walk the walk?”

First, we are informed of what they do, then one supplication they make, their spending habits, followed by a list of items they avoid and another supplication. Rabbana Dua 31 is the first supplication. We will inshaAllah elaborate on what they avoid and the second supplication in the next Dua in this series.

So how do you spot an ‘Ibad Ur-Rahman’? They have a very distinct style of walking. They walk in a soft but dignified manner, humble but not pretentious or weak. A purposeful gait, every step firmly planted on the Earth, eyes raised and conscious of their surroundings; looking neither dejected, nor confused and giddy, but thoughtful and wise. When the emotional or ignorant approach them, they do not engage in needless arguments and meaningless gossip, rather they simply say salaam and move on. Is this arrogance? No. Rather they have assessed the situation and realized their emotional and physical energies would merely be wasted in that company, and time is too precious so they leave peacefully.

Not only do they fulfill the daily obligations of the salaat, but they regularly devote themselves to prostrating and standing some portion of the night. They avoid the company of the ignorant during the day, actively seeking the company of Allah at night.

Are they aware of their high station with their Lord? Do they have a collection of ‘Ibad Ur-Rahman’ T-shirts? Absolutely not! They feel completely unworthy as is clear from the dua they make:

And those who say, “Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell. Indeed, its punishment is ever adhering; Indeed, it is evil as a settlement and residence.”{Surah Furqaan 25: Verses 65-66}

Earlier in Surah Furqan Hellfire is personified as a creature waiting for its prey:

“When the Hellfire sees them from a distant place, they will hear its fury and roaring.”{Surah Furqan 25: Verse 12}

It is ironic that the disbelievers are completely unaware of the reality of Hellfire and the ‘Ibad Ur-Rahman’ who spend their days and nights serving and worshipping Allah are keenly aware of its horrors. They do not feel safe from it clutches, even though they have mountains of good deeds piled up in their favor. Pride has not poisoned their piety, and their ibadah is selfless and sincere. They perceive the majesty of Allah and realize that even a lifetime of ibadah is contemptible and worthless in comparison.

Hellfire is described as a ‘terrible loss, a perpetual penalty that clings to the criminal forever.’ They can feel Hellfire almost breathing down their necks and plead with Allah for protection. Most of us, enamored by the transient pleasures of this world, tend to casually dismiss the imminent punishment with words like, “Even if the Hellfire touches me, I will eventually make it to Jannah. Let me enjoy my life. I will not stay in Hell forever. After all, I am a Muslim!” The ‘Slaves of Allah’ however are not deceived and realize that even a stopover in Hellfire is something that must be avoided at all costs. So, they supplicate that it should neither be their temporary resting place nor should it be their permanent residence.

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, the disbeliever who lived the most luxurious will be brought, and it will be said: ‘Dip him once in Hell.’ So, he will be dipped in it, then it will be said to him: ‘O so- and-so, have you every enjoyed any pleasure?’ He will say: ‘No, I have never enjoyed any pleasure.’ Then the believer who suffered the most hardship and trouble will be brought and it will be said: ‘Dip him once in Paradise.’ So, he will be dipped in it and it will be said to him: ‘O so-and-so, have you ever suffered any hardship or trouble?’ He will say: ‘I have never suffered any hardship or trouble.’”[Sunan Ibn Majah]

Reflection
🖊 Make a good impression.
How a believer carries himself/ herself is so critical that Allah chose to mention it here at the inception as one of the defining characteristics of His Slaves. They look good. A person is drawn to their dignified demeanor, and purposeful walk. The impact the ‘Ibad Ur-Rahman’ have on others is so pronounced that they question, “Why does this person walk in this manner?” SubhanAllah the guidance of the Book of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, is so complete that all questions asked about a believer have the same answer: “Because of his/her religion.”
But sadly, we have lost that beautiful demeanor. Some of us have adopted the mannerisms of the prevailing culture to a degree that even in our gait we are clones of the rich and famous. Some of us walk with an arrogant swagger, ready to pick a fight at the slightest provocation. Many of us are so traumatized by our problems that our steps reflect our dejection and confusion. We walk without looking up and appreciating Allah’s blessings that surround us at all times. Eyes blinkered by screens, walking in the virtual rather than the real world.🖊 Guard your senses.Those that protect their senses from the irreverent during the day are permitted the honor of spending the night in His worship. If our days are full of gossip, backbiting, useless arguments, and inappropriate entertainment how can we possibly hope to wake up for Tahujjud and stand like the ‘Ibad Ur-Rahman’ reciting Quran through the night.🖊 Fear the Fire.No one is entitled to enter Jannah.

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: None amongst you can get into Paradise by virtue of his deeds alone. They said: Allah’s Messenger, not even you? Thereupon he said: Not even I, but that Allah should wrap me in His Grace and Mercy.[Sahih Muslim]

The descriptions of Hellfire are horrific and most of us avoid thinking about it completely. Just like we avoid discussing death even though it is a fact that we will all die. We must contemplate the reality of death and allow ourselves to imagine the punishments of the Fire, so that it motivates us to act righteously.

May Allah protect us and remove us far away from it flames. Ameen ya rabbi.